


Just Once

by imaginary_golux



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: F/M, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-10
Updated: 2011-07-10
Packaged: 2017-10-21 05:19:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/221360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It only happens once.  Written for Porn Battle X.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Once

In England it does not happen. In England, Peter pities grown-up Susan who refuses to remember Narnia, who puts the Lion and the thrones of Cair Paravel out of her mind and replaces them with boys and makeup, who cannot bear to think on what she has lost and so loses it forever.

In Narnia, though. In Narnia, where they are fully grown, king and queen of a vast and glorious land, whose words cannot be gainsaid and whose people cannot be defeated - in Narnia, it happens. In Narnia, where there are no other humans within the boundaries of their land save Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valiant (Lucy, who loves the Lion and Mr. Tumnus), where it's a ten-day ride just to visit the King of Archenland and the Princes of Calormen are cruel and cunning - in Narnia, where they have no one to turn to but each other, it happens.

It happens over tea. Peter still remembers the delicate little china teacups, so fragile and beautiful. Teatime is the only time they really have to themselves; all the rest of the day they must be King Peter and Queen Susan, and dispense wisdom and justice to the assembled multitudes. But they have made teatime their sanctuary. Not even Edmund or Lucy intrudes on teatime. Teatime is the time when Peter can put down his scepter and take off his crown and lounge in his chair, and Susan can stop smiling for a little while and relax. Teatime is when they discuss things which have nothing to do with governing Narnia - flowers, or interesting people, or particularly charming gifts, or anything else which comes to mind. Teatime is the calm between storms.

So it is teatime when Susan says, "Oh, Peter, I wish..." and trails off.

Peter says, "Wish what, Su? Tell me." And even here there is a little echo of his kingliness, of his being used to command.

"I wish I could know that someone loved me," says Susan, and for a minute Peter is confused: she is Queen Susan the Gentle, the most beautiful woman in Narnia or out of it, and she has more suitors than there are leaves on some trees. And then he understands, suddenly, that this is the problem; that because she has so _many_ suitors, she cannot know if any of them truly want _Susan_ , or if they simply want the construct, the idea, of Queen Susan the Gentle, most beautiful woman in the world.

He says, softly, "I love you, and so do Edmund and Lucy." But even as he says it she shakes her head.

"Not that kind of love, Peter, and you know it. You're my brother - you _have_ to love me." And it is true that even in England, even when Susan has turned her back on Narnia, Peter loves her.

But he smiles, and says, again, "I love you, Susan," and leans forward over the table, not quite tipping over the delicate teacups, and kisses her. Not the chaste kiss of a brother to a sister, not the manly kiss of a commander to his loyal retainer - a soft kiss, a gentle kiss, the kiss of a man to a woman.

She is surprised. How could she not be? But the surprise turns all of a moment to pleasure, and then to joy, and then they are standing, wrapped in each other's arms, kissing as though to stop would be to die, devouring each other. They kiss as though there is nothing in the world except each other, as if nothing else matters but this kiss. Peter revels in it, glories in it, memorizes the taste of his sister's mouth, the feeling of her body pressed tightly against his, her arms tangled about him as though they will never let go, the sound of her soft moans of pleasure.

They do not go beyond kissing. There is not time. Before they have exhausted the pleasures of the kiss, a sharp knock on the door tells them that teatime is over, that they are expected at court in ten minutes, that their sanctuary time is over. And when they have placed their crowns upon their heads, and tidied their hair and clothing, they both know that this cannot happen again, for so many reasons. Because they are siblings. Because Susan must either marry well or not marry at all, and either way she cannot afford a child out of wedlock. Because the Lion would not approve.

It never happens again. They still meet every day for tea, still talk of this and that, still take refuge in each others' company against the heavy responsibility of being King and Queen of Narnia. But Susan never speaks again of wanting love, and Peter never again reaches across the table to press his lips to hers.

And if, while he is High King in Narnia, he dreams each night of going further, of stripping his sister's heavy, beautiful clothing from her glorious body and kissing her skin-to-skin, of sinking into her, between her parted legs, of making love to her upon his lonely, royal bed - what of that? It will not happen. It can never happen.

And then they are in England again, and of all the things that happened in Narnia, that is the only one he tries to forget, because his sister is not who she was in Narnia, and neither is he, and it cannot happen again.


End file.
